Alexander Glustrom is an American film director and cinematographer.[1] He has directed award winning films and shot projects for HBO, CNN, New York Times, A&E, Vice, Great Big Story, and Democracy Now.[2] He currently works as a cinematographer on commercials, films and tv shows.

Early life and education edit

Glustrom was born in Midtown Atlanta. His grandparents Marian and John Glustrom were allies in the civil rights movement.[3] He graduated high school from The Paideia School in Atlanta and college from Tulane University in New Orleans. At Tulane, he founded the student organization Tulane University Community Advancement Network (TUCAN)[4] which brought students to The Boys and Girls Club to tutor and learn from the youth participants. After graduating he worked at the Boys & Girls Club located in The Iberville Projects.[4]

Career edit

Glustrom's feature-length documentary directorial debut Big Charity premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival in 2014 where it won the Audience Award and Jury Prize for Best Louisiana Feature.[5] Mike Scott of NOLA.com declared it as one of the top 5 films made in New Orleans in 2014[6] and described the film as "a stark, pull-no-punches look at the shameful political maneuvering and blatant opportunism that played out in the wake of Hurricane Katrina."[6]

Glustrom's second feature documentary film Mossville: When Great Trees Fall was released in 2019[1] and has won more than 15 awards at festivals around the world.[7] The film premiered at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival where it won The Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights.[8] It also won Documentary of the Year from Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities[9] and the David Carr Award for Truth in Non-Fiction Filmmaking Award from Montclair Film Festival.[10] Reviewing it for The New York Times, Glenn Kenny wrote: "The film tells the story of a centuries-old black community in Louisiana laid waste by a chemical company, and of the residents who refuse to leave."[1] In The Hollywood Reporter, Frank Scheck described the film as "a powerful portrait of the human cost of environmental devastation."[11]

Awards edit

Personal awards edit

Big Charity: The Death of Americas Oldest Hospital edit

Mossville: When Great Trees Fall edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Kenny, Glenn (2020-05-07). "'Mossville: When Great Trees Fall' Review: The Material Toxicity of Racism". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  2. ^ "Alexander Glustrom". Mountainfilm. 2020-04-01. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  3. ^ "Glustrom, Alexander - Filmmaker". DCEFF. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  4. ^ a b "Town on the edge". Tulane News. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  5. ^ a b Times-Picayune, Mike Scott, NOLA com | The (5 November 2014). "Charity Hospital doc 'Big Charity' among Audience Award winners at 2014 New Orleans Film Festival". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2022-07-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ a b Times-Picayune, Mike Scott, NOLA com | The (25 December 2014). "The top 10 Hollywood South films of 2014". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2022-07-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "SouthTalks: "Mossville: When Great Trees Fall"". Center for the Study of Southern Culture. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  8. ^ "April Staff Pick | Mossville: When Great Trees Fall". Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  9. ^ Staff, OffBeat (11 December 2019). "Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities names Terence Blanchard Humanist of the Year". OffBeat Magazine. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  10. ^ Orel, Gwen (17 May 2019). "2019 MFF: Awards and rewards for Montclair Film Festival". Montclair Local News. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  11. ^ Scheck, Frank (2020-05-13). "'Mossville: When Great Trees Fall': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  12. ^ Strachan, Sue (26 July 2015). "Millennial Awards shine spotlight on New Orleans' young achievers". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  13. ^ "Academic Success Center director makes the grade". Tulane News. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  14. ^ "Cokie Roberts Named 2015 Humanist Of The Year". Biz New Orleans. 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2022-07-21.